It's not always so black and white...

There is a lady who was once addicted to alcohol and painkillers. Her husband and 4 grown kids were more than well aware of her problems. So they staged an intervention. The lady took heed and went into rehab. That was 30 or so years ago. Today she is 89 years old has outlived her husband. And, incidentally, she also founded the Betty Ford Clinic!

I guess by your standards, her family should have kicked her to the curb when she was overcome by her addictions. You see, there is no one-size-fits-all in this situation. Even Dr. Phil, when dealing with families who have an addicted family member, will first ask the addict if s/he really wants to stop and is willing to get help. If the addict says "no" then Phil advises the family to cut the addict loose and get on with their lives.

Sugarlily--you aren't married and don't have kids. So if you do decide to break up with him, it's far easier to separate without any obligations. If you decide that you just want a break from him to see if he does work on his problems, then in the meantime attend some Al-Anon meetings. Tweet